Striking satellite images released this week by NASA have revealed the full scale of the Monroe Canyon wildfire, which has scorched nearly 46,000 acres of land in central Utah.

The images captured by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite show a thick cloud of smoke stretching hundreds of miles northeast, creating hazy skies and degrading air quality in the region.

The blaze erupted near the communities of Richfield, Monroe and Koosharem amid a stretch of hot, dry and windy weather. It then rapidly expanded over the afternoon of July 25, when firefighters reported wind gusts in the area exceeding 60 miles per hour.

Within three days, the fire had more than doubled its size, prompting evacuations and partial closure of Fishlake Nat

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